Multibladed knife



Aug. 31, 1948. W. MA1-HAUS 2,448,383

MULTIBLADED KNIFE Filed July 19', 1944 73 z //v /9/0 '9 /f Jillian MMM@ -IN V EN TOR.

Patented Aug. 31, 1948 Nrrso stares rarest This invention relates to multibladed knives and while it is designed primarily for use in preparing salads, it will be found useful wherever it might be desired to produce multiple cuts.

An object of the present invention is to provide a knife having a plurality of blades connected to a single handle, the blades being detachably joined to the handle so that, whenever desired, they can be separated for the purpose of sharpening them separately.

Another object is to provide blades which are maintained constantly in predetermined positions relative to each other and each of which is so made as to expedite the cutting operation, especially when preparing salads.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the knife.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on line ls-4 Fig. 1.

Referring to the ligures by characters of reference l, 2, and 3 designate separate blades which are preferably of the same size and shape. In the present case each blade is pointed as at A and has an l elongated opening 5 extending through it, the opening approaching, in coniiguration, the shape of the blade Each blade also has a shank preferably of the same thickness as the blade. Filling strips l of wood, plastic, or any other suitable material are interposed between the shanks while outer or face strips are fitted against the outer sides of the outer Shanks as shown at 6 and all of them have openings ending therethrough, the openings in the Shanks being indicated at 9 while the openings in the spacing strips are indicated at Ill. Counterbored openings il are provided in the face strips 8 and each of these in one of the strips 8 is adapted to receive the head l2 oi a screw I3. The screw is extended through the openings 9 and IB and into the :corresponding opening Il in the opposed face strip 8 where it is engaged by a cap nut i4 seated snugly within the counterbored opening in said face strip. By tightening 1 Claim. (Cl. 30-304) the nut on its screw, the strips and Shanks can be clamped iirmly together so that they thus will cooperate to produce a handle which can be gripped readily while the knife is being manipulated. By counterboring the openings in the Yface strips, the heads of the bolts and the cap nuts will not extend beyond the strips and, therefore, will not cause discomfort to the user.

As shown in the drawings three oi the screws or bolts i3 can be employed but it is understood that this number may be increased or reduced. Furthermore the number oi blades can be increased or reduced in which event the number of strips used in connection with shanks can be correspondingly increased or reduced.

The materials of which the parts are made can be varied. It might be desirable under some conditions to make all of the parts of plastic. If prei-erred too, the blades and the Shanks can be made of metal while the 'strips can be made of plastic. Obviously various other modifications can be made within the scope of the invention.

In practice the knife is used like an ordinary knife with the exception that instead of making a single cut through the material being prepared, it will make several cuts at one time. Thus the preparation of a salad is expedited and, furthermore, the slices produced are more uniform. By having openings in the blades, the cutting operation is expedited because of the reduction in friction. It furthermore reduces the weight of the knife and proportionately reduces the cost oi production.

Obviously the blades can readily be disconnected at the handle whereupon they can be separately sharpened or a broken blade can be supplanted by a new one. Detachability of the blades is also of value because it thus becomes possible to remove one oi the blades so that a single slice can be cut out by means of the two remaining blades. The thickness of this slice will depend upon which of the blades is removed. If the middle blade is withdrawn, the sli-ce would be of a thickness equal to the distance between the side blades. Should one oi the side blades be removed, the thickness of the slice would be equal to the distance between the other side blade and the middle blade.

It is to be noted in this connection that the Shanks 6 of the respective blades are each of a thickness throughout lcorresponding to the thickness of the blades, the Shanks at no point exceeding this thickness. The Shanks thus are made free from projections or enlarged portions, and this permits their being assembled with the 3 spacing elements l Without necessity of intertting the Shanks with the Spacing elements. It is only necessary in assembling or disassembling the knife to place the Shanks against the spacing elements, so that their respective openings register, whereupon the fastening means can be entered through the openings. This construction not only permits ease in assembly or disassembly, but also, there is completely free interchangeability, and any ci the blades :can be removed as desired. Flor instance, by removal of the side blades, the construction permits the formation of a handle of any desired thickness, that is, the spacing elements 1 can be used or not used asdesired. The versatility of the knife is thus increased.

What iS claimed is:

A knife for cutting slices of material of selected thicknesses comprising' separate parallel blades, Shanks at one end of and integral with the respective blades, said Shanks respectively being extensions of the respective blades and being formed throughout of a thickness corresponding to the thickness of their associated blades, separate spacing elements interposed between the shanks and cooperating therewith to form a REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 634,621 Jones Oct. 10, 1899 1,178,363 Waring Apr. 4, 1916 1,237,162 Brazean Aug. 14, 1917 1,278,682 Kohnz Sept. 10, 1918 1,847,062 Lemmon leb 23, 1932 2,186,429 Reinwald Jan. 9, 1940 OTHER REFERENCES The Findlash Safety Pea Knife, May 14, 1927; Saturday Evening Post, May 14, 1927, page 185. 

